Personal digital assistant with internal printer

ABSTRACT

A personal digital assistant ( 901 ) stores personal information in an electronic and transportable from. The digital assistant includes a body section ( 902 ) connected to a display screen ( 904 ). The body ( 902 ) houses a memory, control circuitry for operating the personal digital assistant and an internal printer ( 500 ) for printing stored and/or displayed information. The printer ( 500 ) has a removable ink/print media cartridge ( 504 ) disposed in the hinge joint ( 905 ) connecting the body section ( 902 ) and the display screen ( 904 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The following invention relates to a hand-held computing device,of the type commonly referred to as a personal digital assistant, withan internal printer. More particularly, though not exclusively, theinvention relates to a personal digital assistant having a pagewidthdrop-on-demand printhead and a source of print media located in thepersonal digital assistant.

[0002] A personal digital assistant, such as the type commonly knownunder the trade mark Palm Pilot, is typically a hand-held portableelectronic device having a fold down display screen and a control panel.The display screen is typically of a touch screen type that reacts totouches made by a user controlling a pixel pen. Alternatively userinputs are provided to the digital assistant through a keypad orin-built curser ball.

[0003] Personal digital assistants provide a user with the convenienceto be able to store diaries, address books, meeting schedules etc in acompact, transportable form as well as to be able to instantly add newentries such as meeting notes, new addresses etc.

[0004] Much of the benefit of such portable prior art personal digitalassistants is lost however if a print-out of any stored information isrequired. To print information, prior art digital assistants must beconnected to a print device compatible with the digital assistant whichrequires additional cabling to be carried thus reducing the portabilityof the digital assistant. Alternatively the digital storage medium thatstores the images within the digital assistant must be transferred toanother computer having compatible software for reading the storagemedium and which is connected to a printer. Each of the abovealternatives can only be implemented if these other computing devicesare readily at hand. The prior art personal digital assistants are thusyet to reach their maximum potential as a functional medium for storingand transporting information. With the advent of mobile communicationstechnologies potentially allowing electronic commerce to be conductedthrough one's digital assistant, it is becoming essential that digitalassistants have more suitable print capabilities for printing hardcopies of the information stored in the digital assistant.

[0005] However, presently, printer technology has not been suitable forincorporating into personal digital assistants without a significantcompromise in the size and portability of such devices.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to overcome orsubstantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide apersonal digital assistant having an in-built printer.

[0008] It is a further object of the invention to provide a personaldigital assistant having an in-built printer without significantlyincreasing the size over prior art digital assistants.

[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to provide apersonal digital assistant from which stored information can be printedwithout connecting the digital assistant to additional computing orprinting devices.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0010] There is disclosed herein a hand held personal digital assistantincluding information storage means, display means, in-built printermeans, control means allowing a user to selectively retrieve and displayinformation from said storage means on said display means and to printsaid information using said printer means and means allowing a user toenter and store new information in said information storage means.

[0011] Preferably the personal digital assistant includes a body sectionconnected to said display means through a hinge joint, said body sectionhousing said information storage means and said control means, whereinat least a portion of said printer means is disposed in said hingejoint.

[0012] Preferably the printer means includes a supply of print medialocated within said personal digital assistant.

[0013] Preferably said supply of print media is located substantiallywithin said hinge.

[0014] Preferably a printhead of the printer is a monolithic pagewidthprinthead.

[0015] Preferably the printhead is an ink jet printhead.

[0016] Preferably the body or hinge includes a releasable cover portionthrough which a portion of the printer including the print media and/oran ink cartridge can be removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The invention will now be described by way of example withreference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:—

[0018]FIG. 1 shows a three dimensional view of a print engine, includingcomponents in accordance with the invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 shows a three dimensional, exploded view of the printengine;

[0020]FIG. 3 shows a three dimensional view of the print engine with aremovable print cartridge used with the print engine removed;

[0021]FIG. 4 shows a three dimensional, rear view of the print enginewith the print cartridge shown in dotted lines;

[0022]FIG. 5 shows a three dimensional, sectional view of the printengine;

[0023]FIG. 6 shows a three dimensional, exploded view of a printheadsub-assembly of the print engine;

[0024]FIG. 7 shows a partly cutaway view of the printhead sub-assembly;

[0025]FIG. 8 shows a sectional end view of the printhead subassemblywith a capping mechanism in a capping position;

[0026]FIG. 9 shows the printhead subassembly with the capping mechanismin its uncapped position;

[0027]FIG. 10 shows an exploded, three dimensional view of an air supplyarrangement of the print engine;

[0028]FIG. 11 shows a personal digital assistant having a built inprinter;

[0029]FIG. 12 shows the internal components of a personal digitalassistant having a built in printer;

[0030]FIG. 13 shows a personal digital assistant with a releasable coverportion; and

[0031]FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of components incorporatedinto a personal digital assistant having a built-in printer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0032] In FIGS. 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings, reference numeral500 generally designates a print engine, in accordance with theinvention. The print engine 500 includes a print engine assembly 502 onwhich a print roll cartridge 504 is removably mountable. The printcartridge 504 is described in greater detail in our co-pendingapplications PCT/AU00/00741 and PCT/AU00/00742, the contents of thatdisclosure being specifically incorporated herein by reference.

[0033] The print engine assembly 502 comprises a first sub-assembly 506and a second, printhead sub-assembly 508.

[0034] The sub-assembly 506 includes a chassis 510. The chassis 510comprises a first molding 512 in which ink supply channels 514 aremolded. The ink supply channels 514 supply inks from the print cartridge504 to a printhead 516 (FIGS. 5 to 7) of the printhead sub-assembly 508.The printhead 516 prints in four colors or three colors plus ink whichis visible in the infra-red light spectrum only (hereinafter referred toas ‘infra-red ink’). Accordingly, four ink supply channels 514 aredefined in the molding 512 together with an air supply channel 518. Theair supply channel 518 supplies air to the printhead 516 to inhibit thebuild up of foreign particles on a nozzle guard of the printhead 516.

[0035] The chassis 510 further includes a cover molding 520. The covermolding 520 supports a pump 522 thereon. The pump 522 is a suction pump,which draws air through an air filter in the print cartridge 504 via anair inlet pin 524 and an air inlet opening 526. Air is expelled throughan outlet opening 528 into the air supply channel 518 of the chassis510.

[0036] The chassis 510 further supports a first drive motor in the formof a stepper motor 530. The stepper motor 530 drives the pump 522 via afirst gear train 532. The stepper motor 530 is also connected to a driveroller 534 (FIG. 5) of a roller assembly 536 of the print cartridge 504via a second gear train 538. The gear train 538 engages an engageableelement 540 (FIG. 2) carried at an end of the drive roller 534. Thestepper motor 530 thus controls the feed of print media 542 to theprinthead 516 of the subassembly 508 to enable an image to be printed onthe print media 542 as it passes beneath the printhead 516. It also tobe noted that, as the stepper motor 530 is only operated to advance theprint media 542, the pump 522 is only operational to blow air over theprinthead 516 when printing takes place on the print media 542.

[0037] The molding 512 of the chassis 510 also supports a plurality ofink supply conduits in the form of pins 544 which are in communicationwith the ink supply channels 514. The ink supply pins 544 are receivedthrough an elastomeric collar assembly 546 of the print cartridge 504for drawing ink from ink chambers or reservoirs 548 (FIG. 5) in theprint cartridge 504 to be supplied to the printhead 516.

[0038] A second motor 550, which is a DC motor, is supported on thecover molding 520 of the chassis 510 via clips 552. The motor 550 isprovided to drive a separating means in the form of a cutter armassembly 554 to part a piece of the print media 542, after an image hasbeen printed thereon, from a remainder of the print media. The motor 550carries a beveled gear 556 on an output shaft thereof. The beveled gear556 meshes with a beveled gear 558 carried on a worm gear 560 of thecutter assembly 554. The worm gear 560 is rotatably supported viabearings 562 in a chassis base plate 564 of the printhead sub-assembly508.

[0039] The cutter assembly 554 includes a cutter wheel 566, which issupported on a resiliently flexible arm 568 on a mounting block 570. Theworm gear 560 passes through the mounting block 570 such that, when theworm gear 560 is rotated, the mounting block 570 and the cutter wheel566 traverse the chassis base plate 564. The mounting block 570 bearsagainst a lip 572 of the base plate 564 to inhibit rotation of themounting block 570 relative to the worm gear 560. Further, to effectcutting of the print media 542, the cutter wheel 566 bears against anupper housing or cap portion 574 of the printhead sub-assembly 508. Thiscap portion 574 is a metal portion. Hence, as the cutter wheel 566traverses the capped portion 574, a scissors-like cutting action isimparted to the print media to separate that part of the print media 542on which the image has been printed.

[0040] The sub-assembly 506 includes an ejector mechanism 576. Theejector mechanism 576 is carried on the chassis 510 and has a collar 578having clips 580, which clip and affix the ejector mechanism 576 to thechassis 510. The collar 578 supports an insert 582 of an elastomericmaterial therein. The elastomeric insert 582 defines-a plurality ofopenings 584. The openings 584 close off inlet openings of the pins 544to inhibit the ingress of foreign particles into the pins 544 and, in sodoing, into the channels 514 and the printhead 516. In addition, theinsert 584 defines a land or platform 586 which closes off an inletopening of the air inlet pin 524 for the same purposes.

[0041] A coil spring 588 is arranged between the chassis 510 and thecollar 578 to urge the collar 578 to a spaced position relative to thechassis 510 when the cartridge 504 is removed from the print engine 500,as shown in greater detail in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The ejectormechanism 576 is shown in its retracted position in FIG. 4 of thedrawings.

[0042] The printhead sub-assembly 508 includes, as described above, thebase plate 564. A capping mechanism 590 is supported displaceably on thebase plate 564 to be displaceable towards and away from the printhead516. The capping mechanism 590 includes an elongate rib 592 arranged ona carrier 593. The carrier is supported by a displacement mechanism 594,which displaces the rib 592 into abutment with the printhead 516 whenthe printhead 516 is inoperative. Conversely, when the printhead 516 isoperational, the displacement mechanism 594 is operable to retract therib 592 out of abutment with the printhead 516.

[0043] The printhead sub-assembly 508 includes a printhead supportmolding 596 on which the printhead 516 is mounted. The molding 596,together with an insert 599 arranged in the molding 596, defines apassage 598 through which the print media 542 passes when an image is tobe printed thereon. A groove 700 is defined in the molding 596 throughwhich the capping mechanism 590 projects when the capping mechanism 590is in its capping position.

[0044] An ink feed arrangement 702 is supported by the insert 599beneath the cap portion 574. The ink feed arrangement 702 comprises aspine portion 704 and a casing 706 mounted on the spine portion 704. Thespine portion 704 and the casing 706, between them, define ink feedgalleries 708 which are in communication with the ink supply channels514 in the chassis 510 for feeding ink via passages 710 (FIG. 7) to theprinthead 516.

[0045] An air supply channel 711 (FIG. 8) is defined in the spineportion 704, alongside the printhead 516.

[0046] Electrical signals are provided to the printhead 516 via a TABfilm 712 which is held captive between the insert 599 and the ink feedarrangement 702.

[0047] The molding 596 includes an angled wing portion 714. A flexibleprinted circuit board (PCB) 716 is supported on and secured to the wingportion 714. The flex PCB 716 makes electrical contact with the TAB film712 by being urged into engagement with the TAB film 712 via a rib 718of the insert 599. The flex PCB 716 supports busbars 720 thereon. Thebusbars 720 provide power to the printhead 516 and to the other poweredcomponents of the print engine 500. Further, a camera print enginecontrol chip 721 is supported on the flex PCB 716 together with a QAchip (not shown) which authenticates that the cartridge 504 iscompatible and compliant with the print engine 500. For this purpose,the PCB 716 includes contacts 723, which engage contacts 725 in theprint cartridge 504.

[0048] As illustrated more clearly in FIG. 7 of the drawings, theprinthead itself includes a nozzle guard 722 arranged on a silicon wafer724. The ink is supplied to a nozzle array (not shown) of the printhead516 via an ink supply member 726. The ink supply member 726 communicateswith outlets of the passages 710 of the ink feed arrangement 702 forfeeding ink to the array of nozzles of the printhead 516, on demand.

[0049] In FIG. 10, the air supply path for supplying air to theprinthead 516 is shown in greater detail. As illustrated, the pump 522includes an impeller 728 closed off by an end cap 730. The cover molding520 of the chassis forms a receptacle 732 for the impeller 728. Thecover molding 520 has the air inlet opening 734 and the air outletopening 736. The air inlet opening 734 communicates with the pin 524.The air outlet opening 736 feeds air to the air supply channel 518which, in FIG. 10, is shown as a solid black line. The air fed from theair supply channel 518 is blown into the printhead 516 to effectcleaning of the printhead. The air drawn in via the pump 522 is filteredby an air filter 738, which is accommodated in the print cartridge 504.The air filter 738 has a filter element 740 which may be paper based ormade of some other suitable filtering media. The filter element 740 ishoused in a canister, having a base 742 and a lid 744. The lid 744 hasan opening 746 defined therein. The opening 746 is closed off by a film748 which is pierced by the pin 524. The advantage of having the airfilter 738 in the print cartridge 504 is that the air filter 738 isreplaced when the print cartridge 504 is replaced.

[0050] It is an advantage of the invention that an air pump 522 isdriven by the stepper motor 530, which also controls feed of the printmedia to the printhead 516. In so doing, fewer components are requiredfor the print engine 500 rendering it more compact. In addition, as thesame motor 530 is used for operating the air pump 522 and for feedingthe print media 542 to the printhead 516, fewer power consumingcomponents are included in the print engine 500 rendering it morecompact and cheaper to produce.

[0051] It is also to be noted that, in order to make the print engine500 more compact, the size of the print engine assembly 502 is such thatmost of the components of the assembly 502 are received within afootprint of an end of the print cartridge 504.

[0052] In FIG. 11 there is depicted a personal digital assistant havingan internal printer. The digital assistant 901 includes a body section902 housing the main circuitry of the digital assistant including adigital storage medium. A display screen 904 is pivotably connected tothe body section 902 about a hinge joint 905. The screen 904 pivotsbetween a closed position (FIG. 12) where the screen lies adjacent thebody section 902 thus allowing safe transport, and an open position(FIG. 11) where the screen 904 is visible to a user.

[0053] The body section 902 includes a control panel 906 on an uppersurface thereof that includes all buttons required to operate thefunctions of the digital assistant including the functions of theprinter. Using this control panel, a user can selectively view anystored information and make any new entries or amendments. The controlpanel also includes keys allowing the user to selectively print any ofthe stored information. A slot 910 in the front edge of the body is usedfor ejecting printed media 911.

[0054] The display screen is of a known touch screen type allowing auser to control the digital assistant using a compatible pixel pen (notshown) through which the user selects items on a displayed menu. Inaddition the digital assistant may include known pattern recognitionsoftware that allows a user to enter information by writing on thescreen whereafter the user's input is analysed and converted into text.

[0055] In FIG. 14 there is schematically depicted in block diagram formthe key internal components of a personal digital assistant having aninternal printer. The printer would typically utilize a monolithicprinthead 814 which could be the same as described above with referenceto FIGS. 1 to 10, but could alternatively be another compact printheadcapable of printing on suitably sized print media. Print data from thememory 909 of the digital assistant or a display screen dump 904 is fedto a print engine controller 813 which controls the printhead 814.

[0056] A micro-controller 807 associated with the print enginecontroller controls a motor driver 809 which in turn drives a mediatransport device 810. This might be the same as stepper motor 530described earlier.

[0057] The micro-controller:807 also controls a motor driver 811 whichin turn controls a guillotine motor 812 to sever a printed sheet from anin-built roll of print media after an image is printed. A sheet beingdriven by media transport device 810 is shown at 911 in FIG. 11. Theguillotine might be of the form of cutter wheel 566 described earlier.

[0058] When ready, printer control buttons on the control panel can bedepressed to activate the print engine controller to print storedinformation either from memory or as a screen dump from the displayscreen. This would in turn activate the micro-controller 807 to activatethe media transport 810 and guillotine 812.

[0059]FIG. 12 shows an internal view of the personal digital assistantin its closed position. The printer engine 500 described previously isdisposed within the body section 902 with the removable print mediacartridge 504 being disposed in the hinge joint 905 linking the bodysection 902 with the display screen 904. Printed media ejected from theprint media passage 548 of the print engine travels substantially alongthe inner surface of the bottom panel of the body section 902 and exitsthe digital assistant at ejector slot 910. Because the print roll 504 isdisposed within the hinge joint 905, the personal digital assistant ofthe present invention can be made substantially the same size as priorart digital assistants.

[0060] The body section 902 and hinge 905 include a releasable portion912 pivotably connected through a hinge 913 and secured in a closedposition by a catch 914. Opening of this portion (FIG. 13) allows theink containing print roll cartridge 504 to be removed and replaced.Further details of a removable print roll cartridge are described in ourco-pending application PCT/AU00/00741 mentioned earlier.

[0061] While particular embodiments of this invention have beendescribed, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that thepresent invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description,and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalencyof the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. It willfurther be understood that any reference herein to known prior art doesnot, unless the contrary indication appears, constitute an admissionthat such prior art is commonly known by those skilled in the art towhich the invention relates.

We claim:
 1. A hand held personal digital assistant including: aninformation storage device; a display; a printer including a pagewidthprinthead wherein said printhead is an inkjet printhead; and a userinterface allowing a user to: selectively retrieve and displayinformation from said storage device on said display; print saidinformation using said printer; and enter and store new information insaid information storage device.
 2. The personal digital assistant ofclaim 1 wherein said printer includes a supply of print media disposedwithin said personal digital assistant.
 3. The personal digitalassistant of claim 1 including a body section connected to said displaythrough a hinge joint, said body section housing said informationstorage device and at least a portion of said user interface, wherein atleast a portion of said printer is disposed in said hinge joint.
 4. Thepersonal digital assistant of claim 3 including a supply of print mediadisposed in said hinge joint.
 5. The personal digital assistant of claim4 including a releasable cover portion through which a portion of saidprinter including said print media and/or an ink cartridge can beremoved.
 6. The personal digital assistant of claim 3 wherein saidprinter includes a monolithic pagewidth printhead.
 7. The personaldigital assistant of claim 6 wherein said printhead is an ink jetprinthead.
 8. The personal digital assistant of claim 1 wherein saiduser interface includes a touch screen integrated into the display.